Transitions
by Maya Beebop
Summary: Set in the Movie Beetlejuice refuses to return to the Neitherworld, even after Lydia is gone and a new family moves in.  Can Claudia keep him under control, or will she succumb his old habits let them run away with her?
1. Welcome to the Maitland House

Claudia dumped her knapsack on the creaky bed. Flinging open her curtains, she looked down on the small Connecticut town below at the foot of the hill their house was built upon. White buildings against endless green fields and pine forests.

"Wow. It just screams 'rural wasteland'."

Mrs. Lowe entered the room, dropping three boxes and a suitcase on the wooden floorboards.

"I don't think it's that bad, sweetie. Granted the downstairs is horrendous and needs to be redone, but your room isn't so terrible. Look, you're on the third floor and you've got a phenomenal view of the town."

Claudia sighed and started unpacking. Ever since her mother, Elizabeth Lowe, saw a picture of the house recently put up for sale, she had her heart set on it. The inside of the building, however, looked like it had been designed by a mad scientist, with all its mix of dark steel and futuristic furniture and stone slabs. But the upstairs mainly lay untouched. The country furnishings and roomy attic were just what the Lowe's needed.

Elizabeth wanted to put the house back the way she had seen in early pictures of the home from the eighties, when it was owned by a couple who unfortunately had an accident on the local bridge and died. The owners before the Lowes, by the name of the Deetzs, had to leave only a decade after purchasing the house because their daughter went off to college and they felt they needed less space.

So now Claudia had taken up residence in the attic. Wallpapered and outfitted with electricity, heat, and central air, the room wasn't all that bad. Her small wooden twin bed fit in a corner, and her bureau got the wall near the head of her bed. But one part of the room was left untouched; a small wooden cupboard near the door. The doorknob was old and rusted, and the key hung on a hook near the lock.

Claudia looked at the key and thought out loud. "It's my room anyway. Why shouldn't I get to know what's in that closet?"

She stepped over to the door and started to reach for the key, when suddenly the small piece of crafted metal jumped off of the nail it was hanging on and bounced under the stairs.

Claudia eyed the nail, surprised and suspicious. She hadn't touched it. She hadn't even been within six inches of it when the key fell.

And where was that draft coming from? Her whole body felt chilled as she looked around.

"What's going on here?" she asked herself. Reaching under the stairs, she brought the key back up to the lock and started to turn it. Just as the lock clicked and she began to turn the knob and open the door, a huge weight threw itself on the thin wood and held the door in place, closed.

"What the hell?" Claudia yanked at the knob, her whole body freezing, as if someone icy cold was standing right where she was.

Finally, with a last wrench, the weight went away and the door flew open, revealing a man dressed in a black and white striped suit with shoulder-length, disgusting hair, hanging by his neck from a noose. His eyes were clouded and blood trickled from his lips.

"Jesus Christ!"

Claudia slammed the door shut and held it closed. Sinking down, her back against the wood, she stared, frozen, at the opposite wall.

Suddenly, the door of the closet flung open, throwing her onto the floor and causing her to slam her head against the foot of her bureau, knocking her senseless. An echoing laugh, sinister and cruel, echoed through the room and Claudia felt a wind blow past her, out the window.


	2. We Never Put Him back!

The world was a blur. Two figures came from the bedroom door; two people that were _not_ there before. Suddenly, she heard voices.

"Oh dear, Adam, I think you overdid it. The poor girl's gone and gotten hurt."

"I think so, honey. Here, give me a hand."

Claudia felt herself being lifted up and placed down on her bed. Her eyes were still blurred, but she noticed that the woman had long, brown, curly hair and wore a pink country dress, while the man had sandy brown hair and wore a black and white checkered shirt.

"Wh-what…ow!" Her head began to pound and a small lump was forming in the hair above her left eye.

"Are you ok?" the woman asked her. "Let me go get you some ice for that."

"Wait, Barbara. Let me. You watch her." The man quickly left the room.

As Claudia's head cleared, she focused on the young woman now taking care of her wound.

"Who are you?"

The man returned and put a chilled cloth over her lump. "There. That ought to help. What did you ask?"

"Who are you people? Why are you in my house?" Claudia tried to stand, but as she did, her head ached with a dizzy attack and she had to lie back down.

"Well…we used to…well, that's not true. We still _do_ live here, although we don't really _live_, persay…" the man began.

"You see," the woman knelt down to get at eye-level with the girl. "We're the Maitlands, and we used to live here. But we-…"

"Got into a car accident and died! Adam and Barbara Maitland!" Claudia interrupted and finished for her. "What are you?!"

"Um…we're…_ghosts_." Adam shrugged.

"We hope we didn't scare you too much, dear. Adam was just going to unlock that closet when he dropped the key. We didn't know you'd be so upset when you saw it fall all on its own like that. What's your name, by the way?"

"Claudia." She was in astonishment. Ghosts? Real ghosts? _Sweet!_

"But it wasn't the key that scared me. What is that…_corpse_ doing in the closet? Was that you guys? Why would you put that in there?"

Barbara looked confused. "What corpse, Claudia? We didn't put anything in there…"

Adam opened the door, and Claudia hid her eyes.

"Look, Claudia. Nothing in here but my model. I was about to ask you if it would be OK if I set it back up in here. Ever since the designers came, I had to put it away for safekeeping."

"Um, sure. But, I saw it! It had nasty blond-white hair, and this striped suit, and he was hanging from a rope! In the closet! And then I slammed the door shut, but it just flew open and that's how I got this lump! And I heard someone _laughing_ when I was on the floor!"

The Maitlands froze.

"Striped suit?"

"Nasty hair?"

"Evil laugh?"

Claudia nodded for each question. "Yeah! Why was he in there? And how come he isn't in there now?"

The couple looked at each other in horror.

"Oh my god, Adam, we never put him back!" Barbara gasped. "That means that he's still loose!"

Adam held her still. "Relax, Barb. We can handle this. He can't hurt anyone, can he? Do you remember if he ever did?"

"I…I can't remember! It was ages ago! Back when Lydia still lived here…"

"Hold on a minute!" Claudia yelled to get their attention. "Who is this mystery guy?"

Adam looked at her and heaved a great sigh. "His name is…well…we shouldn't say his name, because it would bring him here and we don't want that just yet."

Barbara started in on him. "His name is Beetlejuice. He's a terrible ghost who once almost killed a family who lived here. Not to mention his lechery, perversion, horrible language, unbalanced temper…"

Adam cut her off. "But he can only come if you say his name three times. So never, ever say his name three times in the same day at least. If you do, you're asking for trouble that we wouldn't be able to help you get out of."

Claudia thought out loud. "But he was already here, without me calling him. How come?"

"Because right now, he isn't working for anyone and no one's put him back. Putting him back means saying his name three times again."

"And that means…he's been loose for…" Barbara counted on her fingers. "Ten years!"

"Not true."

The new voice startled all of them. The three turned to see an elderly woman smoking a cigarette.


	3. First Impressions

"Oh, Claudia, this is Juno, our caseworker." Adam made the introductions.

"Sure, sure. I'll be seeing her shortly. What you said about him isn't true, by the way. He hasn't been 'on the loose'. He apparently has been acting like he's been 'put back', but recently escaped and came here. He's still rather sore about the sandworm incident you pulled on him, Barbara."

"So he hasn't been off and scaring the daylights out of people?" Adam inquired.

"Correct. So just put him back and I can be on my way with you two in tow."

Barbara sighed. "Beetlejuice…Beetlejuice…Beetlejuice!"

There was a sudden pop in the room, and a muttering from the closet.

Adam went over and pulled his model out from the cupboard, setting it up in record time. When the group looked down on it, Claudia was surprised in more ways than one. The first being how incredibly accurate the model of the town was. The second being her catching sight of a miniature figure sitting on a tombstone in the small cemetery.

"You losers _do_ know I was enjoying myself! Ten years of listening to Juno yap and the_ least_ you could do is…hey!"

The little man had caught sight of Claudia.

"Who's the chick?" He looked up at the Maitlands, waggling his eyebrows.

"No one you should be talking to, you egotistical lecher." Mrs. Maitland scowled down at him.

Adam looked at her through new eyes. "Barbara!"

She turned to him. "Well, it's _true_."

Claudia couldn't take her eyes off the man below. He was exactly like the person she had seen hanging in her closet, only dozens of times smaller.

"What're you staring at, babes? You like what you see?"

This remark almost sent Claudia reeling. A retch welled up in the back of her throat and she made a disgusted face. This guy was so filthy, so unkempt and so _old_…

Juno sighed and started for the door.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Claudia called to her. "You aren't just gonna _leave _this guy in my room, are you?"

"I don't have any control over where he stays, kid. Just make sure he isn't around when you're changing."

And with that, the woman disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Claudia stared at the empty space where her last hope had been standing just seconds before.

"You've gotta be kidding…"

The Maitlands looked at each other. Claudia saw their shifty eyes and realized what they were about to say.

"Oh no. Not you _too_!"

"Well, we didn't want to say anything, but our haunting contract has expired. We're going to have to leave." Adam tried to look strong for the girl, who was progressively becoming more and more overwhelmed by the second.

"No. There is no way you are going to leave me alone with this…this _pervert_!"

"We don't have any choice, Claudia. Juno was just here to tell us that." Barbara stroked Claudia's hair.

"So that means…that this Beetlej-…"

Adam put a hand over her mouth, stopping her just in time. "Claudia, if you know what's what, you will _never_ say his name, not even once. Three times and then he really _will_ be able to hurt you."

"I don't need to be big to make a big impression, Maitland!" the tiny voice called from below.

"Be strong, Claudia. We'll see if we can check in once in awhile." Barbara smiled sadly.

"And take care of my model." Adam walked over to a wall, which had been covered in drywall and wallpapered. But knocking three times, a door appeared in the wall and opened, revealing a green light beyond.

The couple walked in, giving Claudia a final wave. As the door closed, the two kept walking on, into the unknown.

Claudia's jaw hit the floor.

"No. There is no way this is happening."

"Trust me, kid. It's happened. And until I can get out of this model, I can't leave. So either you say my name three times or get used to me being here." Beetlejuice sounded as smug as he looked.

She turned to him, eyes blazing.

"It is _bad enough_ that I have to move to Hick-ville, you nasty excuse for what once was a human being. But to have you in the same room with me is just too much. This model, along with you in it, is going back into that closet and you can rot there for as long as you feel like staying. But under _no_ circumstances am I going to say your name, do you understand, Beetlejuice?"

The shock of her breaking the number one rule so soon hit her like a ton of bricks.

"Twice more. Two more times and I can leave. Think about it."

"Go to Hell, you little cretin."

Claudia picked up one of the sections of the model and placed it back in the closet. Beetlejuice was still on the one that was in the room.

"Hold on! Just gimme a chance! Don't put me in there! C'mon, even a _ghost_ needs sunlight!"

Claudia eyed him warily. "You're a ghost?"

"The Ghost with the Most, babes. I can do more than any other supernatural being on this earth."

"Good for you. Enjoy the closet."

As she bent down to pick up the second half, his voice rose up.

"Wait, wait, wait! How can you _be _this way? You know, I thought you might actually be worth getting to know! No one's ever just _tossed_ me aside like this!"

She laughed sarcastically. "If that's the case, then you better get used to it. Like I said, a ghost belongs somewhere dark and creepy. Like the closet. _Up_ you go."

She lifted the second part and placed it on a shelf a few feet above the ground so that it wouldn't crush the first half. Starting to close the door, she heard his little squeaks and curses.

"You know what? FINE! Close the door! I'll get out of here! That's right! You _watch_ me!"

Shaking her head, Claudia shut the door and locked it with the small key.


	4. Wake Up Call!

The next morning, Claudia rose from her slumber, yawning. She rubbed her eyes and pulled the curtains on her windows apart, letting the sunlight stream in.

"Saturday. I think I'll see what the town has down there."

As she was pulling off her nightdress, she thought she heard something. But it stopped in a second and she shrugged it off.

She habitually switched her pj pants with her jeans at the same time, and was about to reach for her shirt to put over nothing but her bra when she heard the noise again. This time, it was much more defined. It sounded like…_laughing_! Someone nearby…. Someone like-

"BEETLEJUICE!!!"

She pivoted on one foot while pulling her shirt on as fast as she could. Wrenching the closet door open, she tried to spot the little peeping tom, but was unable to find him.

"Lookin' for me, babes?"

The voice was coming from across the room! From her vanity!

Racing over, she found him sitting on the handle of a brush, cross-legged, watching her every move.

"You filthy little _pervert_!" she yelled, slamming her hands down on the vanity top, shaking several whatnots from their resting place and sending them rolling and toppling down.

"How did you get out of that closet? Out of the model!"

He thought for a moment, trying to regain his balance from the shaking. "Well, last night you must have been muttering my name in your sleep. It wasn't loud enough to let me "loose", persay, but it _was_ enough to let me out of the model. Goes to show how fickle the rules can be." He grinned at her.

"Does it? Well you're about to discover how fickle _I_ can be when some sick little guy like you goes and tries to look at me in nothing but a _bra_!"

With that, she picked up the brush he was sitting on before and promptly turned it, bristle-side down, on top of him.

"Yowch!"

Claudia removed the brush to see the exact same Beetlejuice, only with huge gaping holes through him.

"You know, babes, you shouldn't be too embarrassed about yourself. At least you're filled out in all the right places." He laughed uncontrollably as he made the holes "fill" back in, the proper clothes and skin appearing over the spots once more. Claudia blushed.

"Oh, shut up."

This time, however, she actually looked in the mirror. Dark, chocolate-brown hair fell to just above her shoulders. A medium top, skinny tummy and hips almost matching her top. But sparkling, brown eyes staring back into brown eyes completed her earthy looks.

"Just because I have to stay here, it doesn't mean I can't have a little _fun_, does it?" Beetlejuice's voice brought her out of her reverie.

"No, it doesn't." She looked down at him. "But it _does_ mean that the next time I catch you spying on me, I'll tie you up and hang you out the window for the birds to eat."

BJ looked up at her, thoroughly disgusted.

"How can you be so cold, toots? Who spat in _your_ morning mouth?"

"It's just because I have to live out here, thousands of miles from my friends in San Diego, and on top of all the moving and school transitions and crap like that, I have to have a ghost staying in my room. It's a little overwhelming, and I'm certainly not partial to a peeping tom. Know what I mean?"

"Totally, babes! I know _exactly_ what you mean!"

Claudia gave a little smile. "Nice to know."

"By the way, what's your name anyway? I never got it from the Maitlands."

She thought for a moment about whether or not she wanted to answer, then decided it was a safe question.

"Claudia."

"Claudia?"

"Yeah. You make fun of it and I _will_ string you up."

BJ backed off, putting his hands out in front of him. "No way, Clauds. It's a _great_ name!"

She smiled again and began brushing out her hair. Beetlejuice strolled nonchalantly around her vanity top, inspecting the various feminine appliances and makeup. Somehow, he managed to climb up on the lid of a case of powder, but fell in and landed on the fluffy puff, covered in the peach-colored dust.

Claudia laughed. BJ looked up at her like a little kid, red with embarrassment and wanting to redeem himself. He dragged his powdered rear out of the case and tried to brush himself off, only succeeding in rubbing the powder farther in.

"You're going to have to wait for it to wear off. Powder doesn't come off easily. That's why I don't use it." She was watching his efforts with an interested eye.

"Then why do you have this little dust-trap lying open? I mean, if you don't use it, why have any of this stuff?"

"My mom gives it to me. I only keep it out to make her feel good. I barely ever use any of it, but when I do, it's usually a bit of lipstick and that's it."

"Lydia used a _lot_. Even when she got older…"

"Who?" Claudia bent down and rested her chin on her palms, lying on the hard wood of the tabletop.

"Lydia. She was the girl who lived her with her family before you guys came. She used to use a lot of dark makeup. But you don't see _me_ using any of this junk."

Claudia laughed, not sure if he was being sarcastic or serious.

"So this Lydia, did you spy on her too? Or am I the special case?"

BJ floated off the countertop, coming up to eye level with the astonished girl. He looked her straight in the surprised optic and scoffed.

"When are you gonna get over the whole 'spying' thing? Didn't I say I was sorry?"

"No."

"Oh…" He tried to think back. "You're right. I don't apologize for anything.

"But no, I didn't really spy on her. We had some laughs, but she grew up and moved out. I guess she forgot about me. Kinda happens when you get older, you start to deny stuff. I remember her mentioning something about minoring in psychology. I blame that."

"Oh…you must have been so sad…" Claudia looked at him through new eyes. The poor guy! "Is that why you killed yourself?"

"_WHAT?" _BJ stared at her, jaw dropped.

"Well, isn't that how you died? I heard rumors of a suicide in this house…"

"No, that's not what happened! Lydia had gone through some hard times and thought about suicide, and her parents found the note after she'd gotten over it! _I_ didn't kill myself here!"

"Well, then how did you die?"

This made Beetlejuice freeze. "I…don't…remember…"

"Huh?"

"It's funny, I can't remember how I died." He scratched his head, trying to help his memory.

"Well, if I do remember, I'll be sure to reenact it with as much relish as I can muster for you." Beetlejuice grinned.


	5. Breakfast With BJ

Claudia sighed and turned towards the door.

"Hey babes!"

"What?" She spun around to face him.

Beetlejuice was shuffling his feet and looking at the countertop. "Since…you know…you're going downstairs and all…do you think you could let me out? Cause I don't know about you, but it's kinda tough being so small, and-…"

"Absolutely not." Claudia put her foot down on the subject.

"Why not? It's not like I'm gonna try to kill you in your sleep!" he demanded.

"No, but you can make my life a hell of a lot worse if you're ten times taller. It's amazing what trouble someone can cause when they're life-size," she explained sarcastically.

"Well then can you at _least_ put me on the floor so I can stretch my legs?"

"Do whatever you did to get on my vanity. See you, I'm spending the day on the town."

Claudia heard no more from him the rest of the day. When she came home late that night from a hike through the woods and an entire morning of inspecting the little town below, she didn't even give Beetlejuice a second thought as she collapsed on her bed to sleep.

The next morning, Claudia descended the steps at a breakneck speed. Popping two pieces of bread in the toaster and making a mug of tea, she inspected the town paper she found on the doorstep while she waited for her food to finish cooking. Nothing interesting in the print, save for an ad for a town-wide garage sale that afternoon.

Sipping the hot liquid, she buttered the toast and settled down to finish reading a small article about how the mayor had been required to visit the state capitol on some mysterious errand. She barely noticed it when her toast moved.

Glancing down and then doing a double take, Claudia's eyes widened at the sight of Beetlejuice, picking up a butter-covered crumb and devouring it quickly.

"'Morning, Clauds! Nice breakfast you've got here. I especially love the heart attack spread on the carbohydrate slab. Not that it would do me in, cause somebody else beat them to it! Ha!"

Claudia slammed the paper down on the rough wooden table ad glared at him.

"You know, I was looking forward to a quiet Sunday morning without having to look at you. Do you know what my mother would do if "A", she saw you or "B", saw me talking to you? She'd think either I or she was nuts, and I'd put my bets on the former."

"Bets are on, babes! Look who's coming down for breakfast!"

Beetlejuice motioned towards the door, through which Mrs. Lowe was entering, clad in a tartan robe and bunny slippers.

With a sudden intake of breath, Claudia flipped her toast over onto Beetlejuice, squashing him under a flood of melted butter and a wall of crispy bread.

"Morning, honey. How did you sleep? You ran out so fast yesterday, I barely had a chance to ask you! And you got home so late!"

"Sorry, Mom…I was kinda eager to get to know the place. I slept fine…"

But Claudia's mind wasn't on how her bed suited her. She was more worried with the rustlings of her toast and the mutterings she could hear from beneath it.

"Having toast, dear? Why don't you put some butter on it?"

Claudia dropped her elbow on the piece of toast to keep it from wiggling.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, Mom. There's butter on the bottom. I just flipped it by accident."

"Well, make sure you eat a bit more. I wouldn't want you passing out. I'm going to find a church for us. Don't be surprised if I'm not home by two, by the way. I need to do some shopping."

"Alright. Enjoy yourself!" Claudia called to her mother's exiting back.

Making sure the coast was clear, she turned back to her toast. She was rather surprised when she saw Beetlejuice's face on the slab of bread, not looking too happy.

"Smooth," he commented dryly.

"What the heck?" Claudia exclaimed, alluding to his transformation into the piece of toast.

Suddenly, he appeared in his normal form, leaning against the tea mug. "I don't appreciate the whole 'butter-side-down' trick."

She shrugged. "It was the only way to hide you. Besides, it's your own fault for playing with my food."

"Touché. So what are we doing today, Clauds?"

"Well, I'm going to see about this giant yard sale in town. I need some stuff for my room."

"Lemme come along, babes! You owe me one for the toast fiasco, anyway!" he implored, going down on one knee and raising his hands in a prayer-fashion.

"What would you want with a yard sale?"

"Well, you know…" he began, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. "I could use a few new furnishings for the closet and all, and there's always the occasional bug that crawled in and died in someone's old cigar box."

She hesitated, eyeing him suspiciously. Was he serious?

"You're actually going to live in there? Like, try making a house and all?"

He looked straight at her, shrugging his shoulders. "Well what else am I gonna do? I can't _go_ anywhere if I'm not big."

She sighed and gave in. In an hour, they were in town. Claudia made sure he was secure inside her backpack while she biked around and began to inspect close to twenty different plots set up.

Every time she came to a stand with doll furniture, she made sure no one was looking while she brought Beetlejuice out to check to see if anything was worth buying for him.

By the end of the day, Claudia had found a great buy on a small dollhouse and Beetlejuice had furnished it with everything he'd need for a normal house, disregarding the bathroom equipment. He had begged her to buy a Barbie doll he had seen, but she put her foot down.

"I'm bankrolling this, you little pervert. You don't need a Barbie doll, 'model wife' or otherwise."

(A/N):

Maya: HA! Dryly! Get it? He's a piece of toast! Sometimes I kill myself without even realizing it!

BJ: Sometimes I wish you _would_ kill yourself to save all those poor people from your jokes. _I'm_ the only one allowed to be "punny" around here!

(END A/N)


	6. Old Habits Die Hard

They returned and Claudia got an idea. Setting the town model up on one side of her room, she put the house together according to Beetlejuice's directions right next to it, so if he wanted to, he could have a "walk" around the town.

Beetlejuice approved and strolled around the cemetery, finally planting himself on one of the tombstones.

"So how do you like it?" she asked.

"Well, it's not like being big, because they're no humans to scare. But it'll do." He teleported to the very pinnacle of the scale model of the house they were in on the hill.

"But it's gotta be so cool, to have an entire 'town' all to yourself," Claudia commented excitedly. "I wish _I_ could be in there!"

Suddenly, everything went black. Claudia fought to open her eyes and when she did, she realized something was insanely wrong. She was standing on a street in the middle of town. But everything was deserted. No lights were on; there was no movement anywhere.

She spun around and around, trying to find some sign of life. All of a sudden, Beetlejuice was next to her. But he was huge! Life-size!

_Or…was she…_

"In the model, Clauds! You wished it, welcome to it."

A terrible sinking feeling hit the back of her stomach. Her bottom lip trembled as her eyes went wide.

_He's life-size…compared to_ me_…oh God, no…_

She had noticed a flash of insight hit his face. Slowly he let an evil grin escape those lips.

A flood of adrenaline hit her, and she instinctively swung her foot up and caught the side of his face.

As he spun back, dazed, she sprinted. Having absolutely no idea where she was going except hopefully away from _him_, she thanked the Lord for that Tae Kwon Do class she had taken last year.

Claudia ran up alleys and down streets and finally turned up the hill leading to the model of her house. From there, she could see where he was, even if she stuck out like a sore thumb until she got under cover.

She plodded up the hill, all the while looking over her shoulder. Finally, she reached the "porch" and hid herself in a shadow. She kept making nervous glances about, wondering where in hell he was…

"Nice view, huh babes?"

Making a silent prayer to God that he wasn't where she thought he was, she turned slowly and laid eyes on his two eyes peeking out from the shadow.

It had all been a trick; he had known where she was going and actually turned into a shadow for her to hide in. She was surrounded; there was no escape.

Letting an inhuman groan escape from her chest, she sank to her knees, looking up helplessly as he materialized and stepped forward, grinning maniacally. She shut her eyes tight as she waited for the inevitable…

Suddenly Claudia's eyes snapped open. It was dark. Crickets were chirping.

She was lying down. Struggling against some soreness in her arms, she sat up, her mind racing.

Claudia was in her bed, and it was night. A cold sweat was all over her face, and she wiped it off with one arm.

"A…dream?" she muttered. Then, "Beetlejuice!"

She heard a snore from beneath her covers. Flipping them up, she laid eyes on the small, sleeping figure of him against her pillow. He looked rather peaceful.

"It must have been…but…why are you in my bed?" she demanded of the sleeping spook. He didn't stir.

__

Well, it's been a few hours so far, I guess I can let him slide for the rest of the night.

She turned over and went back to sleep, not noticing the small smirk playing on the ghost's lips. It had appeared either from a wonderful dream he was having, or the wonderful effect he had intentionally caused on _her_ dreams.


	7. School Daze

Claudia awoke again at dawn. New beams of sunlight glowed on her tawny sheets, and she wondered what she had been so afraid of the night before. After all, it was only a dream…and a very understandable one, considering her bunkmate.

She rose silently and dressed, keeping one eye on the slumbering Beetlejuice at all times to make sure he wasn't sneaking around. But he never stirred from his spot, not even when she eased out of the room and went downstairs.

She ate her breakfast alone and called to her awakening mother that she was about to walk down to school. Mrs. Lowe returned with a request for her daughter to be home by four because they would be hosting a church social on the lawn, and Claudia started out.

The rush of cool wind past her face was completely refreshing. Entering the school lot, she took in the sight of her new school. It was called the Winter River High School, and it looked like a prison, she thought. With plain white walls, high-set barred windows near the roof, a heavy wooden front door and a perfectly mown grass lawn in front, it was the pinnacle of serious education, with no hints of the fun times high school stood for.

Claudia sighed and walked in. With relative ease, she retrieved her schedule from the front office and she found her way to her first class, thanks to the highly descriptive directions given at every intersection of hallways in the building.

Her first class was advanced biology, and she found a seat near the back next to a huge clear bottle full of frogs floating in formaldehyde. She stared at the slightly moving amphibians for a few minutes before realizing that the teacher was talking to her.

"Miss Lowe? Miss Lowe, are you with us?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. The frogs got to me…" Claudia commented.

The teacher laughed. "Yes, they tend to do that. I like to call that jar my 'poor bio professor's lava lamp'. Today's your first day here, and I'll expect your peers to learn about you in time. For today, I'd just like you to get better acquainted with the rundown procedure. Feel free to mill around with the rest of the class," he explained.

This statement puzzled Claudia at first, and it confused her even more when the entire student body began to get up and inspect the various contents of the classroom. Some asked questions about the various biological relics along the walls or in jars or hanging from the ceiling; others consulted the dozens of textbooks in the front of the room. Claudia approached the teacher with a very befuddled face.

"Um, what exactly are we doing?"

He looked around for a moment, looking like he had just realized what was going on.

"Oh, yes. See, the Board of Education didn't dictate a specific curriculum for my department this year. Hell, I'd probably disregard it anyway, even if they _did_ issue one. So this class is run on what is lovingly referred to as 'interest study'.

"I figure that if a subject boring to you, you won't learn at all. You'll just tune all the information out. So I tell my students to pick anything in this room and to research it, and at the end of the marking period, they just turn in a detailed report of what they've discovered, all on their own!

"The only rules are that you can study one subject for only two consecutive marking periods, and reports have to be rather specific in all fields. Other than that, feel free to explore!" he exclaimed.

"And by the way, my name is Mr. Carl."

"Sounds like a blast," she commented.

"It works, and if a system works, you use it. Have fun," he said before turning to help another student.

Claudia drifted about, examining various whatnots. She found particular interest in a mutated mouse skull, and she marked it mentally for something to be studied eventually.

While looking at a two-headed snakeskin, she suddenly felt a weight slide into her back pocket and reached behind her, pulling out a piece of paper. Her eyes widened as she read the print silently.

_Hey. Being new is really hard around here, huh? I know, I was once new too. If you're interested in a tour of the town, meet me by the West Entrance after the last bell._

Ben (the guy in the jacket and sunglasses)

Claudia looked up and caught a glimpse of him. He was wearing a vintage leather jacket; one his father could have easily passed down to him. Underneath was a white tee shirt and he wore denim jeans over beat-up, once-white sneakers. The black sunglasses were over his eyes, but they couldn't hide the grin he sported to one of his friends, talking about something humorous. He touched the glasses and brought them down a fraction of an inch for a second to glance in her direction, grin, and put the glasses back up again.

Her face almost exploded in color as she blushed, quickly turning back to the snakeskin. A tour…from that guy? She smirked to herself, embarrassed. They didn't hold back here in Winter River, did they?

Making a mental note to go see if was truly him after school (after all, someone _else_ could have slipped that note into her pocket), she continued through the day, nervous and adrenaline-pumped. Finally, as the last bell rang, she gathered her things and threw them into her backpack, making a beeline for the West Entrance.


	8. Wild Mustang

She saw him long before she got out the door. The guy was leaning on a polished, buffed and probably spit-shined black Mustang GT with two white racing stripes painted on the side. He was talking to a guy wearing the school football jersey, laughing and grinning that adorable smile she noticed back in class. Suddenly, she saw him notice her and send the football player away, crossing his arms and smiling at her.

"Hey!" he called up at her from the foot of the stairs she was on.

"Hey yourself!" she called down. Pulling the piece of paper out, she walked down the steps and waved it at him. "This wouldn't be _yours_, would it?"

"It might be. Then again, it might not. That all depends on if you're willing it take up the offer on it. If you're not, then it's not mine."

"And if I am?"

"Then hop in, 'cause my name's Ben." He offered his hand and opened the passenger-side door with a flourish.

"Claudia Lowe," she said, shaking the smooth hand and sliding into the seat. He closed the door behind her and went over to the driver's side, getting in and revving the car.

The Mustang started up and they shot out of the parking lot with a blast, Claudia laughing nervously at the speed. They shot through the quiet town and out into the endless fields beyond in the gorgeous afternoon.

"So where do you live?" he inquired over the sound of the engine.

"Up on the hill in town!" she yelled back. "In that white house!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

"Folks say that place is haunted!"

Claudia laughed out loud, her voice resounding over the noise from under the hood. "You don't know the half of it."

"What?" he yelled, unable to hear her.

"Nothing!" she called back. "Not that I don't love having my ear drums blown out, but can you stop the car?"

"What? I'm gonna kill the engine; hold on!" he yelled back, turning it off and braking to a halt.

He turned to her and grinned. "Sorry; the muffler is broken and by God it's noisy. I think the townspeople are signing a petition to have me outlawed."

"I can't imagine why," she giggled. She noticed he still hadn't removed the glasses and was sort of sorry she couldn't see his eyes. She hadn't really seen them in class at all, either.

"You don't wait a while to get at the new kid, do you?" she asked playfully. "I mean, I hadn't been there an hour and I already had some guy slipping notes into my back pocket."

"You weren't flattered? I better make a note never to talk you again!" he gasped, pretending to scribble an invisible note on his palm. "Must… not… flirt… with… freshman!"

"I'm not a freshman; I'm a sophomore," she corrected him.

"Oh, really? That's good, because freshman-senior relationships never work out." He raised his eyebrows and laughed.

Claudia laughed with him and her mind was a blissful blank; devoid of memories from the night before and that horrible dream. She had even _almost_ forgotten about Beetlejuice! And now, here she was, in a fine car with an even finer boy, laughing it up and forgetting entirely about…

"The _social_! Oh my God!" she swore, suddenly serious and shocked.

He stopped his laughs and tilted his head. "What social?"

"My mom mentioned she was hosting a church social after school, and I was supposed to be home by four!" She almost hyperventilated when she saw that his radio clock read 4:45.

"It's not that bad, is it?" he asked, reaching for his keys.

"You don't understand my mom! She's _nuts_ about her church! She wanted to commute to our old church every Sunday, but I had to remind her that it was all the way back in Jersey; four hours away."

"Well, then, we better get you home!" he shouted over the now started car. With speed rivaling light itself, they raced down the highway and back into town, almost going supersonic as he climbed the hill road that was packed with cars. Claudia's heart leapt into her throat as she caught a glimpse of her mother standing under a white E-Z Up tent, handing out barbecued chicken and smiling sweetly. Claudia knew her mother, well enough to know that the woman was lowering inside, seething that her daughter had skipped out on this important function.

"Claudia Darcia Lowe!" Mrs. Lowe practically bellowed across the lawn when she saw her daughter. She walked over and put on a required smile for the boy next to her.

"I _thought_ I asked you to be home by four, _dear_. And who is this young man?" she inquired, forcibly trying to hold back her holy anger.

"Oh, Mom, this is Ben. Ben-…?" Claudia searched her memory. "I don't think I got your last name."

"Oh! It's…Jacobs. Ben Jacobs. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Lowe," he offered, putting out his hand. The woman took it for only a second, then dropped it and look to her daughter.

"Well, thank you Mr. Jacobs for driving her home. Claudia, I believe there is a bowl of barbecued chicken over there that will not serve itself to the guests. Make sure you wear that "Bon Appetite" apron so the sauce doesn't get on your uniform. Mr. Jacobs," she nodded to him, turning and about-face and walking back to the picnic.

Claudia turned to Ben. "Don't be fooled. She's really mad at me; I'm gonna get it later on. If I'm not in school tomorrow, start digging around in the town cemetery. She'll have already killed me."

He laughed. "Well, _you're_ pleasant. It won't be that bad; she can't keep you out of school."

"And why is that a good thing?"

"Because if she did, I wouldn't get to see you tomorrow." He smiled and turned back to his car, got in and roared away.


	9. Wasn't a Dream

Claudia watched him go with a sense of longing; she had already fallen in love with that car…and him?

She shook her head. _Not time to be thinking about him!_ She walked over to the table and put on that abominable apron, picked up the tongs, and started handing out the chicken. Her smile was glittering, but fake. All she wanted was to escape to her room and go to sleep, but her mother would never allow it.

She looked down at the chicken and almost retched. It was bubbling furiously in its hot plate, the sauce like thick blood over the painted wings and legs. Why wasn't she a vegetarian?

_Because you love seafood and beef. Not winning any diet points with that._

Shrugging, she glanced at her apron and almost gasped. A face was on it, taking the place of the red-stitched words "Bon Appetite". And it was Beetlejuice's!

"What the-…"

She felt the two ties from behind her neck snake around and cover her mouth slightly forcibly. "Not a word, babes, or people are gonna think you're nuts, talking to an apron."

She reached up and tore the ties away. "How did you get out of the house?" she hissed, looking warily around for others. Most of the people were sitting down, eating, or standing farther away on the lawn. No one could see her talking through clenched teeth.

"I 'did whatever I did to get out of the model'," he replied, smart-alecky.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble I'm _already_ in? I got home late and Mom's on the warpath. If she sees me talking to anything except for this disgusting chicken, she'll have a meltdown and it'll be World War Three!"

"Chill, Clauds. It's all right. She can't see."

Claudia suddenly felt her legs lock up and her entire body felt freezing. She couldn't move, and she whispered from her blueish lips, "Beetlejuice-…!"

"Oh, sorry! Don't get so hot-headed!"

She felt the icy cold melting from her rapidly heating head and body, sighing as she saw a breath of steam escape from her mouth. "Beetlejuice, do that again," she threatened, "and I'll make sure you never say another of your spells. I'll make you never _speak_ again."

"It's not intentional, babes!"

"And how many times do I have to tell you; I am _not_ your '_babes_'!"

He sighed and eyed her. "Is this all because of that _guy_ that was here? Are you just mad because your mom sent him off?"

"No…" she responded, blushing slightly. "Of course not…"

"You don't sound too convincing. I'm _glad_ your mom ran that kid off; ugly guy. Not worth your time. Ready for another date in the model?" he asked, Casanova-like.

"No, as a matter of fact I am not-…"

Her face slackened and she glared down at him, her rage building. "You mean that _wasn't a bloody dream?!_"

He instantly realized his mistake and looked away. "Um…I…uh…"

Her hand clamped over the apron and she ripped it off her. Clenching it tightly in her fist, she went up to her mother.

"Mom, I apologize for forgetting the time. May I be excused?"

Mrs. Lowe nodded. "Alright. Go change."

Claudia spun on her heel and stomped up to the house. Holding the apron in a death-grip, she rose to her room and tacked it to her wall.

"_You egotistical, sneaking, perverted son of a bitch!_" she roared at him. "How _dare_ you attack me like that and make it look like a dream! I ought to rip you _limb_ from _limb_!"

"Hey, you put up a damn good fight! That kick to the face nearly put me out of commission!" he retorted, the apron strings struggling to free him from the wall to no avail.

"You deserved it!"

"Oh, are _you_ playing God now, deciding who decides what punishment?" he demanded, stop his fruitless attempts to stare her in the eye.

"No, I-…" She halted. She _was_ playing God. He _was_ just a typical lecher, and she didn't have the right to exact vengeance on him herself. She had every right to _want_ it…but did he truly deserve to _receive_ it?"

It took her but a moment to consider, and she made up her mind.

"Oh yeah. You deserve it."


	10. Three Times

Picking up a pair of scissors from her bureau drawer, she crossed the room menacingly, opening the blades.

"Wait! Wait, don't do that! _Please_! It was a moment of weakness! I plead temporary insanity! I plead bribery! I plead the Fifth!" he attempted pitifully.

"Ha! You're permanently insane; you were bribed by your own libido; and it's too late to plead the Fifth because you already admitted your guilt!" she snarled, coming closer, scissors poised to be plunged into the fabric.

"You don't do pity, do you babes?" he asked calmly.

"No! And _I…am not…your '_babes_'!_"

She cut into the apron, slicing out ribbons of striped print with the drive of a madwoman. Finally, the apron in shreds, she collapsed to her knees and sighed heavily. Maybe he was gone for good! Maybe he had gone to where ever Adam and Barbara had gone! Maybe-…

"Your mother isn't going to be happy that you ruined her favorite apron," came the familiar voice from her dresser.

She spun and stood at the same time, an unholy fire burning in her eyes.

"_Beetlejuice!_"

A cold wind blew through the room, chilling Claudia to the bone. She saw his wide-eyed expression and realized her incredibly stupid, stupid mistake.

__

"If you know what's what, you will never say his name, not even once. Three times and then he really will be able to hurt you."

In only the past half-hour, she had said his name three times.


	11. He's Out!

Claudia froze. As the wind died down, she stared up in horror at Beetlejuice's life-sized figure, standing calmly in the center of the attic. He looked around at his own full-size limbs for a moment, hardly daring to believe he was free. When he had finally grasped that he was no longer the equivalent of an action figure, he grinned devilishly.

"Seems the tables have turned, huh babes?" he commented.

Oh, the tables hadn't turned; they had completely fallen apart at the joints and spontaneously combusted into little piles of ashes. The memory of the night in the model rushed back like a tsunami, totally destroying whatever composure Claudia had left and causing her to even whimper a tiny bit.

"Oh _shit…_" she cursed.

He chuckled. "Please, Clauds. You think I'm gonna waste my time playing with _you_ when I can finally stretch my limbs?" His extremities elongated, curling around the room before retracting back to their usual length. He sighed contentedly and collapsed on the under-stuffed couch, appreciating its squishy comfort.

Claudia's mind was racing. _Oh God…what am I gonna do? How do I put him back?_

Meanwhile, she was inching closer and closer to the door, slowly but surely. Finally she reached it, and covering the knob with her body, she frantically fumbled with the handle.

Beetlejuice heard the noise and tensed up. "Jeez, babes. You're in such a rush to go. Why not sit down and take a load off?"

Suddenly, Claudia felt herself rise up off the floor. Hurriedly she grabbed the doorknob so she wouldn't go floating off into empty space. She held on for dear life, trying to pull herself back down, but her clammy fingers slipped and she lost her grip.

Now she was floating over to a three-legged moldy armchair, dropping down into it with a crash. She gave him the evilest eye she could and tried to get up, but some force held her down, pinned to the chair. It was as if she couldn't even lift her own weight.

As she struggled, Beetlejuice stood up and came over, placed his hands on the armrests and leaned over her with a wicked little grin. "I'm really not such a bad guy, I don't think. I like to have my fun, and if that means traumatizing the girl that's been keeping me prisoner for the past few days, well then it's all the more good times for me."

Claudia whimpered again out of animal instinct and tried to get up again. "You let me go _now_," she demanded, pulling against the invisible hand that kept her seated. "Or I swear to God, I'll-…"

"You'll what? Sit there and give me cold stares?" he laughed cruelly.

"I'll call Adam and Barbara!" she bluffed, knowing full well she had no idea how. He saw right through the maneuver and laughed again.

"Babes, you couldn't call for help on _this_ plane of reality, much less the next world."

To prove him wrong, Claudia opened her mouth and tried to scream to the many people outside in the front lawn. But Beetlejuice had that move covered; with a flick of the wrist he conjured a nasty-looking snake to wrap itself around her mouth and hiss menacingly to keep her thoughts occupied. The reptile turned out to be a cobra, which spread its hood and bared its fangs, hovering just inches from her face.

Claudia's eyes went wide and narrowed on the snake, her voice gone and her body motionless. She went still and pale as a statue, her skin going white and all the nervous trembling that she had from the adrenaline just moments before stopped instantly.

Beetlejuice nodded, surprised he had been able to use his powers that soon after being reintroduced to the big world. He had suspected that being small for so long had dulled his methods, but was overjoyed to know that no such effect had affected him. Leaning one hand on the chair and putting the other on his hip, he loomed over her like some kind of devil, content to watch her keep both eyes on the cobra and completely ignore him, even when he reached out and touched her cold hand. Her fingers twitched a bit, then went still again as he picked up her wrist and kiss the back of her hand in the most twisted fashion he could manage.

"Babes, I have places to go and people to get revenge on. I hope my little buddy here can keep you company, but if you need me, just say the magic words and I'll be right back to give you another helping of fright." He put her hand back down and stepped back, laughing to himself and disappearing.


	12. Snakebite

Claudia was still motionless in the chair, watching the snake squirm and slither around her head. Finally the reptile got tired and sank down to her lap, but she didn't dare call for help because it might frighten the cobra and cause it to attack her.

She must have sat there for an hour before the thing slid down to the floor and curled itself up by her feet. When she tried to move herself, she found it was easy and slowly, gingerly she started to stand up.

Suddenly she felt her foot land on something squishy and in that instant, she realized it had been the snake. A split second later, she felt a searing pain not unlike needles slam itself into her bare ankle. As the original pain receded, a new burning sensation enflamed her foot and as she fell back into the chair, she understood what had happened.

The snake had bitten her.

Claudia exhaled and winced. _Ok, cobra…cobra…how long do I have to get help?_ She thought frantically, trying to recall her girl-scout days. But they had never studied the cobra; none were native to the United States. So she fell back on the only plan she had; try to keep the poison from spreading by not moving and call for help.

"Mom!" she yelled, praying the party was over and her mother was back in the house. "MOM!"

But she didn't hear any hurried footsteps on the stairs, nor any calls from the floor below to even tell her if her mother was in the house. So Claudia risked it and stood up and hobbled to the window. What she saw outside was what constituted a scene from a horror movie.

The EZ-tent was broken into five different parts, scattered all over the lawn. Food was thrown everywhere, splattered against everything, and people were tied up and wriggling in the tent canvas, which was hanging from a tree branch ten feet off the ground.

Her mother, however, was nowhere to be found. Claudia searched the scene with a growing sense of dread, until she finally found the missing woman struggling to free herself from some bushes. Claudia sighed, relieved, then remembered her situation and tried to open the window. But it was jammed.

"Mom…" she whispered, her voice growing weak and distant. Here it came, the nausea and the vertigo and burning in her gut now. She felt gravity increase and her vision began to white out. As the floor began to look more and more comfortable, she realized she was sinking down.

The last thought that went through her mind before the blackout was that she thought she heard a faint ringing in the background, followed by the sound of glass breaking…

"Clauds, you missed out!"

Beetlejuice slammed through the glass of her small window and stretched contentedly in midair, brushing bits of broken glass off his jacket. Then he grinned, set foot on the dusty boards, and looked to the chair where he had last left the girl, tangled up in a snake.

Problem was, she wasn't there anymore.

He looked around, and then his face fell when he saw she was lying on the ground, motionless. Her breaths were shallow and her wide eyes were dilated. And he saw the bite marks on her ankle.

_Shit_.

It wasn't supposed to go this way! He hadn't even meant to summon a cobra; he had aimed for a garter snake: harmless but still scary. He had overshot with his powers, and had made the terrible mistake of leaving her here with it.

As he reached down and tried to revive her, his mind raced. He didn't really care about _her_, it was just that he couldn't kill any mortal without suffering terrible retribution back in Juno's office. Worst-case-scenario, he might even be thrown into Purgatory. He could be exorcised if she died!

"Hey! Hey, Clauds! Wake up! You _can't_ die! C'mon, c'mon you can't! Don't do this to me!" he pleaded, picking her limp body up and shaking it a bit. But she still didn't move on her own, although he thought he saw her eyelids flutter a tiny bit.

"Alright, we're gonna get you to a doctor. I gotta take you into Hartford cause Winter River doesn't have a hospital." He picked her up and flew her out of the window into the darkening sky, disappearing just as Mrs. Lowe breathlessly burst into the attic.


	13. Juno's Wrath

The E.R. was busy with several patients awaiting medical treatment, even this late at night. A little girl and her father sat, dozing, waiting for someone to look at her sprained ankle. A man with a broken nose held his face gingerly and glared at the nurses who ignored his plight because of the accident victims pouring in from the ambulance drive outside. Beetlejuice took one look around, ignored the others and carried Claudia up to the desk.

"What's the matter, sir?" one of the ovoid ladies asked tiredly.

"She got bit by a cobra," he returned, upset that they weren't already trying to help her.

"A _cobra_? Are you sure?" she demanded, standing up and leaning over to observe her pale face, slightly open mouth and unfocused eyes. "My God, how long has it been since she was bitten?"

"About half an hour."

She motioned to an orderly for a stretcher and Beetlejuice laid her down on it hurriedly. He was relieved to see her eyes moving around a bit, and a slight gurgling was coming from her throat.

"Oh, jeez. I thought she was a goner. But she's waking up now, right?" he breathed, relieved.

The nurse gave him a weird look. "Sir, this isn't her waking up. Her body's going into erratic convulsions that signify her body's processing of the venom. The seizures will get worse until her brain's neurotransmitters stop functioning and she loses control of involuntary actions."

He raised an eyebrow, completely confused. She sighed. "In Laymen's terms, it means she's going into death spasms."

His heart leapt up into his throat. _No!_

The nurses swept Claudia away into the bowels of the hospital, and Beetlejuice was left, alone, in the waiting room. He stood, taciturn, for all of two minutes, before he heard a terrible voice bellow in his mind,

_Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!_

…………………………..

Mrs. Lowe took one look at the coiled serpent at the foot of her daughter's bed and screeched. Picking up a heavy, dusty spade forgotten and left in the corner of the attic, she let out a war cry and brought the edge of the shovel down on the snake, cleanly severing head from body.

Dark blood spattered over everything, and Elizabeth sighed. What in all the hells was a _snake_ doing in Claudia's room? And a nasty-looking _cobra_ at that? She inspected the half-spread hood and was just speechless.

She looked around at the blood-soaked sheets and window drapes, knowing full well that those stains would only come out if she washed them _right now_. Ignoring the snake's body, she gathered up the bedspreads and carted them downstairs to put them in the washer, completely forgetting in her housecleaning rush to even look for Claudia.

…………………………..

He stood in Juno's office, looking down at a very pissed-off caseworker.

"Oh…Juno…hi. Nice to see _you_ again. How did giving up smoking work for you?" he asked waveringly.

"Sit down, you obnoxious little-…"

"Before you say anything, can I defend myself?" he interrupted.

"NO! Now sit down!" The woman stared him down, causing Beetlejuice to lose his footing and collapse into a moldy chair.

"Do you have _any_ idea what the hell you're doing? There is a living girl in the _hospital_ and _very_ close to death because of you. The _hospital_ has no medical records of this girl, and so doesn't know not to use a certain brand of anti-venom on her because of a heart defect that is _very_ fragile right now. A church social was destroyed because of you. And you have the _nerve_ to pull all of this crap _in the Maitlands' old house_?!"

Beetlejuice looked sullen and defeated. He knew he wouldn't be able to stand up to Juno like this, so he decided to look for a different way out.

"What can I do?"

The four words out of his mouth stopped Juno cold. _Did he just ask…?_ She eyed him warily.

"What do you mean?" she demanded.

"I mean I wanna do something to stop it. Is there anything?"

"No! You are _not_ gonna try to "help" this situation! We've already got a crack team ready to go for this kind of situation, but if they don't help her in time, I swear to God, I'll have your spectral ass dragged from here to the far end of Purgatory," Juno raged. She was yelling so loud, her cigarette's ash flew off and landed on Beetlejuice's suit jacket. He flicked it off and stood up.

"Well if you're not gonna let me help with _you_ and I can't defend myself, then I'm leaving and I'll fix this my own way."

He was one foot out the door when Juno's voice made him freeze.

"Beetlejuice, you step _one foot_ outside this office and I swear, I'll have you exorcised if she dies!"

He turned back and gave her a snarky smirk. "Then I better make damn sure she doesn't buy the farm, shouldn't I?"


	14. Meet Me On The Other Side

**A/N: I wrote this and the next chapter to "The Other Side" as performed by David Gray. I strongly suggest you go download this song to listen to while reading.**

Claudia was giving the venom a good fight. The doctors had managed to revive her a bit, enough for her to stay awake so they could work with her. She gasped, trying to get control of her jerking limbs.

Nurses rushed back and forth, trying to find the right antidote. But since they didn't usually carry cobra anti-venom, they had to have it delivered by helicopter to the hospital. As they waited, Claudia twitched on the stretcher, staying awake at all costs.

A matronly nurse wiped the girl's forehead with a wet cloth and sighed. _Poor thing_, she thought to herself as the rest of the staff rushed around, trying to do something helpful. They were searching the coffers of the supply room for a cure that could tide her over, or they were running DNA samples to try and figure out the girl's identity. The rather eccentric man that had brought her in had gone missing, so they couldn't even question him.

But nothing could really help in the small amount of time. After twenty years' experience in Arizona, the nurse knew this child was very close to the end of her life. All that could really be done right now was make her as comfortable as possible and pray.

Half an hour passed. The girl steadily worsened, her skin becoming wan, then yellowish as her lips turned blue and she began breathing shallower and less often. Her eyes rolled back at intervals and the body began to lose its twitchy nature and settled down, then became motionless entirely. She became unresponsive, and the nurse let a tear fall for her. Dying alone…that was _her_ worst fear. She wouldn't dare abandon this lost and nameless child in her final moments, not even if the building was coming down.

In a few minutes, a great cry rose up from outside, and a torrent of hospital workers came spilling into the small room, one of them clutching a bottle of anti-venom. The helicopter had come through! They raised the bottle of liquid to the child's lips and tilted it back, rejoicing in the fact that they had done all they could and it had paid off.

The nurse sighed and gave a soft smile, almost laughing to herself at the irony. Holding on for all that time, fighting the burning pain within each of her veins, and this girl gave up the fight just a few seconds before, closing her eyes and exhaling that final breath without so much as a whisper.

**A/n: I know this chapter is horrendously short. Forgive me, but it is a good cliffhanger, no? I promise the next chapter will be up quite soon, so please don't come attack me!**


	15. Never My Intention

**A/N: Again, I'd suggest listening to "The Other Side" for this chapter.**

Beetlejuice poofed back to an uninhabited wing of the hospital, looking around and trying to find his way to where ever they were keeping Claudia. As he passed a pair of swinging doors, he caught a bit of conversation that made his proverbial blood run cold.

"Did you see the teen they brought in with snakebite?" one doctor asked another as they sipped coffee. The second doctor shuddered and gave his buddy an upset glance.

"Yeah, poor thing. I heard they moved her to ICU a while back. Gave her a few hours left. I hope they find her family. Did they get any leads?"

"Not yet. Last I heard, they were checking dental records."

"Maybe she doesn't have a home."

"It's a cryin' shame."

Beetlejuice tensed up and gave up being subtle. He raced through the corridors, following confusing directions to the intensive care unit. Finally he slid to a very dramatic halt in front of the large, windowed doors. Peering in, he saw a figure lying still on a gurney and his stomach fell.

Slowly, he pushed the door open and looked around for any stray nurses or doctors. Seeing none, he drifted over to the stretcher, his spirit disintegrating. Yeah, he was screwed for sure. Juno would have his ass in Purgatory before an hour was up.

But he didn't really expect himself to feel so bad about accidentally killing her. She was just mortal, after all, and it _was_ inevitable. But to be the one that did it; _that_ was the kicker. "Babes…I'm s-…so-…"

He couldn't get the word out. After not apologizing for anything for years, he was terribly out of practice. It had become a chore over the ages, something he just decided to give up. Being sorry was for wimps who didn't stand by what they did.

But this was different. He had _killed_ a girl! A girl who didn't really deserve it, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself that she did. She had kept him prisoner in the model…treated him like a pervert…pretending to humor him by buying that dollhouse…

The more he thought about it, the more lenient her image became. She hadn't really kept him in the closet, she had let him run around and even sleep in her bed after the nightmares he had given her. She'd bought him a place much more comfortable to sleep than a dusty old model. And there was always the fact that she could have always taken the chance to say his name three times and send him back to the next world.

"Clauds, I didn't mean to-…I just…" He knelt down and bent his head, leaning it against the white-sheeted figure. The cold body beneath sent shivers through his spine, and he pulled back, afraid to touch this corpse that only a few hours ago had been a living, breathing person that he had known.

He felt a tickling in his nose and realized he was gonna start _crying_ if he didn't suck it up. Imagine that, the Ghost with the Most, sobbing like a baby! He sniffled and tried to keep the tears back, succeeding enough so that was able to control himself.

Beetlejuice turned away and took half a step, when he heard a weak familiar voice call from the other side of the room, "Is anyone there?"

He froze. There was no way. _No freakin' way_!

Looking up, he caught the sight of Claudia's pale face propped op against a pillow, her breathing shallow and her eyes unfocused. But _she was alive_!

"BABES!" he exclaimed, scampering over as quick as his legs could carry him. He got down close to her, overjoyed she wasn't dead. Glancing back, he almost retched at the fact that he had gotten so emotional over some other person's dead body when Claudia had been over _here_ the whole time!

"Oh _no_. It's _you_…" she whispered, frightened, and then tried with all her might to move away from him. "Leave…me…alone…" she threatened, failing miserably at moving her own body but not giving up yet.

"Aw, Clauds, don't be that way! Uncle Beej is gonna make you feel all better. Scout's honor!"

She whimpered and bit her lip. "Oh my _god_. "How…how could you even _think_ like that at a time like this?" Claudia groaned with the onslaught of a headache and coughed. "Go…away!"

Beetlejuice was stunned. Did she still think he was trying to be a lecherous jerk, even when she was _dying_? "Clauds, I'm not trying to be icky. I really wanna help you. Now be quiet and let me work my magic."

"What magic? Just let me _sleep_…I feel so…_tired_…" she sighed, closing her eyes.

"NO! You _cannot_ fall asleep! Wake up!" He shook her a bit and her eyelids raised.

While she tried to keep her eyes open, Beetlejuice focused his energy and desperately tried to remember how to take out snake venom. Finally giving up, he groaned and racked his brain. _How do you get snake venom out?_

_Speaking of the Scouts…_He eyed the ankle and saw the twin puncture wounds. They were still bleeding a bit, and the blood was blackish. "They _suck_ the venom out in the movies…" he mused to himself.

His mouth had barely touched her skin when she tensed up and kicked herself away. "_What the hell do you think you're doing_?" she snarled from her perch, leaning up a bit and giving him the evil eye.

"I'm getting the poison out! Now lay still so I can-…"

"First of all, you filthy foot-fetishist, it's been _hours_ since I got bitten, so sucking it out wouldn't help me in the least! Second, they gave me antidote a while ago! And third, _what stupid idiot let _you_ in here_?"

He was flabbergasted. "I…let myself in."

"Did I ask you how you got in? _Did I_? I wanted to know where the guards are around this place! _Get out_. It's _your_ damn fault I'm in here!" she raged. Finally her strength gave out and she fell back, overtaken by exertion. Her head had started pounding again and she just wanted to sleep.

Beetlejuice pouted a moment, trying to decide whether to stay to spite her or leave so she wouldn't start throwing things at him. Finally he decided to camp out in the waiting room, but not before breathing a sigh of relief and going over and patting her head. Thankfully she was already asleep, or she probably would have broken his wrist.

When he had finished, he eased out of the room, closing the door and making a mental note to tell the doctors about the body in there that belonged in the morgue…

**A/N: I put that little "suck the venom out" part in there for all you trigger-happy readers out there that wanted to see some lovin' between them lol. And because I thought it would be mad funny.**


	16. Pull A Mission: Impossible!

It seemed like only hours had passed, even though it had really been days. Mrs. Lowe had finally put out a missing person's report and it was easily traced to Claudia in the Hartford hospital. When Elizabeth arrived, she was horrified to find out how close her daughter had come to death from that random cobra in their attic. She was just so relieved to see her child alive that she didn't even begin thinking about how or why Claudia had gotten to Hartford in her condition.

Beetlejuice was camped out in the waiting room, reluctant to leave just yet. He had ditched the striped suit for the time being in exchange for something a little less conspicuous; a rumpled brown suit and tie. He soon became uncomfortable in the necktie and just draped it around his shoulders to keep up a bedraggled appearance.

Never did he let either of the Lowes notice him; when Claudia's mother came by on her sparse trips to the bathroom or to the cafeteria, he hid behind a newspaper until she had passed. Claudia was bed-bound, forbidden to get up for the time being while doctors ran some tests and made sure the venom ran its course and finally passed. While she was sleeping and her mother was absent, Beetlejuice stuck his head in the room and got shivers up his spine when he saw all the equipment stuck in her. She had a tube around her nostrils now to ensure she got pure air, one IV in each hand, and a nasty-looking clear cord running under the bedspread that looked like it was keeping her from having an accident while she slept.

Hospitals were disgusting, in his humble opinion.

When the time finally came to move Claudia back home, Mrs. Lowe made a big fuss over her and tried to make the girl comfortable even though she was still comatose. The staff wheeled her out in a wheelchair and put her in the backseat of the car, where they buckled her in and told Mrs. Lowe to have the girl visit their personal doctor in a few days. As Elizabeth pulled out with Claudia in tow, Beetlejuice watched them go with an air of satisfaction. He had screwed the system, all right! Juno could just go _whistle_ for his butt in custody, because that girl was making a stellar recovery!

He was just about to go get his trademark suit out of a cheap locker when he heard his name called three times and felt himself deposited in the caseworker's office, falling rather ungracefully into the worn, under-stuffed leather chair.

"Jeez, Juno. I was just about to come back in here to laugh in your face. Now you've gone and ruined the effect," he grinned.

But something was off with this situation. The elderly ghost was smirking herself!

"What gives, Juno?" he demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"_This_ gives, you little poltergeist," she returned, waving a piece of paper in front of his face. Beetlejuice took it from her and scanned it. As he read, Juno paraphrased.

"I have been waiting for this for _decades_. The big guys on top noticed your ridiculous and dangerous stunts and have decided to revoke many of your powers for a day!" she said, jubilant.

Beetlejuice laughed in his throat and put the paper down. "A _day_? If you've been gunning for this for that long, I should think you'd aim for more than just a miserable little day. No problemo; I can take that." He stood up, stretched, and straightened the brown lapels of his borrowed outfit.

Juno smiled wider. "Oh no, Beetlejuice. This means one of _our_ days, which equals precisely one year on earth. And here's the _real_ kicker: that's exactly how long you're banished for!"

"Banished?!" He was stunned.

"Damn straight. They want you out of the Neitherworld for as long as possible. After nearly killing an innocent girl-…"

"Hey, she is _not_ entirely innocent for that accident! She _totally_…um…well she wouldn't send me back! She was _keeping_ me on earth! And you know how we all do stupid things when we're riled…"

"Save it for the mortals. Have a nice year."

Suddenly Beetlejuice felt himself shoved through realities. Finally falling rear-first on top of the Lowe's house, he was dazed for all of two minutes while he made sure he still had all his limbs attached. When he pulled himself together, he realized his striped suit was back and he was a lot weaker than he used to be.

With a lot of effort, he managed to float down to the attic window, where he saw Claudia sitting on her bed and leaning against the wall, her head nodding and her eyes closed. She was napping.

Beetlejuice eased the window open and slid inside, stepping down on the floorboards as silently as he could. He shut the window again and realized the slight draft had dislodged a few papers from the bureau that had scattered over the floor.

He bent down to pick them up and realized they were get-well cards, well over a week old. He must have been at Juno's for a while earth-time. When he saw the notes were from a few students at her school, he began to leaf through them, reading over the same basic paragraph over and over again.

"Get well soon, hope you feel better, hope to see you soon," he muttered to himself. "It looks like they all copied them off the board. She deserves a halfway-decent card."

Claudia stirred a bit and Beetlejuice froze. When she settled back down again, he breathed easier and drifted around her room, looking for any clue as to what had gone on in his absence. He found a few gift bags and some shiny new CD's that were probably get-well gifts. Some were still unopened, so he figured her return was still fairly recent.

Suddenly he heard her sigh and he summoned his power up to put her back to sleep. Or tried to. When he realized he couldn't get at _any_ of his magic, he panicked and accidentally shrunk himself to hide.

Scurrying under the model and clambering up so he could see properly, he hid behind a particularly large gravestone in the toy cemetery while Claudia got up, stretched, and breathed deep. She was wearing a white tank top and worn, torn, bleached blue jeans, and her hair was pulled back in a mussed-up ponytail. As she stood, she redid the hairstyle and pulled her black socks up.

Claudia moved around the room slowly, still under some of the dizzying effects of the poison. He noticed her eyes were a more vibrant shade of brown, if that was possible; they were more focused and narrower. Another effect of the snakebite, no doubt; he remembered her eyes had been twitching slightly when he had first discovered her.

Her skin wasn't as peachy as it used to be either. She was just half a shade paler, not the tanned teenager she used to be but an olive-skinned young woman who had more experience in life than anyone else her age. She looked _older_ now, that was the word. Like she grew up overnight and he had just noticed it.

Not that Beetlejuice was thinking anything out of the ordinary. He _was_ that "lecherous, egotistic pervert" Barbara had pinned him as so many weeks ago, but this was a different kind of revelation. Sometime that he felt a sort of _pride_ in, like it couldn't have happened without him.

Claudia, meanwhile, was drinking some water from a glass at her bedside. She took small sips and took a breath in between each one. So she was still a little weak after her ordeal; who wouldn't be? She had looked Death in the eye and had managed to give him the royal smackdown when push came to shove. She hadn't been ready to die yet.

All of a sudden, Beetlejuice felt the electricity in the room change. Claudia's movements froze, mid-sip, and her eyes fell on the model. He ducked down behind the tombstone again, nowhere near ready to let her know he was there. But what he wanted didn't matter. She knew.

"I _know_ you're there, you stupid jerk. Stop hiding in the cemetery and come out where I can see you."

He shuffled out and leaned against a plastic tree. "Yeah, babes? What's eatin' you?" he asked nonchalantly, inspecting his mistreated fingernails.

"You," she replied coldly.

"I could turn that comment into a morally _disgusting_ innuendo, but I won't, cause I'm such a nice guy. Now you wanna tell me what's _really_ bugging you?"

"You're obnoxious. And no, I don't. I just wanna get out of this house and hang with someone my age, because all these grownups are driving me crazy. 'You have to lie down' and 'you can't go back to school yet'. It's so _boring_, just waiting for my two weeks to be up!" she sighed, collapsing back onto her bed which squeaked softly at her weight.

"Someone your age, huh? Well who's that dud pulling up the drive?" Beetlejuice asked, half-interested, glancing out the window.

"Huh?" She got up and made for the window. Beetlejuice, disgusted at her reaction, disappeared.

Claudia threw up the glass pane and searched the driveway, and mentally squealed with delight when she saw the car. Yup, it was the Mustang, complete with Ben behind the wheel. He got out, slammed the door shut and glanced up at the attic window.

"Hey, new girl!" he called up, grinning.

"Hi, Ben. I got bad news; the Mom Patrol won't let me out or anyone in. I'm under quarantine," she said, upset.

"Well who says she has to know? She's at that town meeting, isn't she? Something about the PRA, or the Prevention of Reptile Attack. Lame, huh? Anyway, just come down."

"No, she's downstairs sleeping. There's no way I can walk past her room without waking her up."

"So pull a Mission Impossible and climb down from there! You've got a rope, right? Jeez, work with me! Here I am, trying to get you out on a date and you're playing hard-to-get!"

She laughed and looked around the storage closet. Luckily finding a coil of garden hose, she tied systematic knots in it until she finally wound the end around the bottom of her bed and threw the rest out the window.

Throwing a light jacket on over her tank top, she slipped into a pair of flat-soled white sneakers and began to climb down. As she neared the bottom, Ben reached up and pulled her the rest of the way down, grabbing her waist and frightening her enough to cause her to let go and fall on him. They rolled over the grass for a few moments, laughing hysterically, then finally got up and got in the car.

"You think she'll notice the long brown like coming out of your bedroom window?" he asked, still jovial as they pulled out.

"Nah. She's out till past dinnertime, I'll bet. And this way, I'll be able to climb back up again."

"Cute and smart. Be still my heart."

"Is that your take on poetry? I'll have you know that I did that trick all the time in New Jersey, back before we lived in San Diego. She's so used to me sneaking out, all she asks when I get back is if I'm still a virgin," Claudia giggled, afraid she said too much.

Ben gave her a weird look and snickered. "And do you tell the truth?"

"More or less, yeah."

"Well, now that I've assisted in a prison break, where does the convict want to go? We have a new muffler at our disposal, so we won't get driven out of town by an angry mob if we decide to cruise around."

"I saw a Cantonese restaurant on the edge of town when we first moved here. Wanna go get something to eat?"

"Actually, I haven't eaten decent food in awhile. Let's do it."


	17. Chinese Food Conversation

Ben stuffed a wad of chow mein into his mouth and chewed. "So, what's the deal? Why's your mom got you on lockdown?"

Claudia swirled her tea and gave him a broken smirk, the kind that's born out of humor and grief. "She's still postal over the-…accident."

"Accident?"

"Snakebite. It wasn't too serious."

"Not too serious? I heard you landed in Hartford Regional. It's gotta be bad if they took you there." He raised an eyebrow and dipped his chopsticks into the mound of rice at his side.

"Well, I guess it was. But I'm better now. All better."

"No side effects?"

"Well, I feel kinda tingly every once in awhile, and I've been having nightmares lately, but I guess that's to be expected. The doctors said I'd have a few neurological kinks to work out over time, if you can understand that," she laughed, taking a big bite of chicken.

He grinned and nodded. "Yeah. But it'll only get better. I've…been having my own set of problems lately."

Claudia cocked her head.

"Just some family issues. Nothing to worry about."

_I guess we all keep secrets,_ Claudia thought as she spooned some rice onto her plate. Changing the subject, she quickly brought up the topic of school. "So how's Winter River High been in the past week?" she questioned.

"Slow. It's midterm week, but I think you're excused 'cause you came in late and you haven't been there for awhile. So breathe easy," he laughed.

She sighed. "Good. I hadn't even begun to worry about studying, so this is good news."

"We aim to please."

They finished the food over general conversation, exchanging abridged life stories. She explained her origin and he gave her the basic rundown: he was born to two lawyers who were barely around, so he basically survived on his own. The car was a sixteenth birthday present that he had souped up over the two years since receiving it.

"So you're eighteen?" she asked, slightly surprised.

"Damn straight, and don't you forget it," he chuckled. "I told you I was a senior."

"Yeah…silly me, I totally forgot. You just seem so much _older_, like you belong in college or something."

"Well with my grades, I _do_ belong in college. I could have graduated last year 'cause I got enough credits, but I decided to hang around to slack off."

Claudia laughed. "Are you _serious_?"

"Nah, I'm just pulling your leg. I'm an average student, B's and C's and A's. But I have a seat reserved at any college I want, thanks to mom and dad," Ben explained, still laughing.

She smirked and sighed, unable to believe that he had actually led her on like that. _Goes to show how gullible I am_.

When they had exhausted all the food and conversation, Ben threw down enough cash to pay for both their meals and escorted her out to the car. Opening the door for her like a gentlemen, he eased her in and went around to the driver's side, where he slid in and pumped the engine.

"Well, where to now?" he asked.

"What time is it?"

"Almost six."

"Is it ok if I go home? Not that I'm worried, just that I don't like pushing Mom's buttons if I don't have to."

"Sure. High, ho, Silver!" he exclaimed, pealing out of the lot at breakneck speed.

Claudia screamed and he slammed on the brakes, stopping on a dime and turning to give her a weird look. "You ok?"

She couldn't possibly tell him she was afraid of his driving too fast. She couldn't explain her fear of insane, high speeds, why she couldn't ride roller coasters or even a train without getting nervous. Bad memories…

"Just…surprised, is all. Sorry…" she apologized.

He took the hint and drove more slowly, cruising only a few miles over the speed limit. They arrived back at Claudia's house and she was relieved to see the brown hose still hanging from the window.

"Thanks for the day out. I better be getting back inside. See you at school on Monday, hopefully," she said as she climbed out.

"No problem. Call me anytime you want a getaway car."

"…I don't really have your number."

"Yeah, well you know what James Taylor says. 'You just call out my name…'," he sang a little off-key.

"And you'll come running. I'd still like your number."

"And I'd like a full tank of premium gas for free. It's healthy to want. See you in school," he grinned and drove out before she could protest.


	18. Visitors

Claudia watched the car speed away and felt a tiny pull at her heart. Damn it all, why did she have to squeal like that when he drove fast? All because of that accident…and it was ages ago! She couldn't just get over it?

Giving it up like she always did, she turned to the house and grabbed the garden hose and began to shimmy up. Finally, she clawed her way to the top and pulled herself over the sill. All was quiet. "Yes…the Mom radar didn't pick me up…" she silently thanked whatever god would listen and collapsed on her bed, her arms tired and her heart pounding.

Suddenly she sat straight up again. How could she have not noticed when she first came in? Two people were standing in her room. One was sitting on a small chair and another was looking over the model.

"Adam? Barbara? What are you guys doing back here?" Claudia laughed, slightly startled but wholly glad to see them.

"We decided to drop in to see how things were going. How are they, by the way? _He's_ not still around, is he?" Barbara asked, warily, looking around.

"Unfortunately, yes. I don't see him right now, though, so I guess he's decided to take a vacation of his own. Thank God." Claudia eyed the closet and mentally dared him to show himself while the pair was there.

"Lucky for us. Word in the next world is that he almost killed you!" Adam said, sounding more than a little concerned. "You ok? You _look_ fine."

"Getting' better every minute. I'm going back to school in a few days. But that can't be the only reason you came to visit, is it? Please tell me there's something else. I'm almost starved for news from outside my four walls."

"Well, not really. We've just been so worried about you being alone with _him_. This was the earliest we could get away, what with moving into the new place and-…"

"Now Barbara," Adam interrupted good-naturedly. "You know it's against the rules to tell her if there's anything like that after life." But he gave Claudia an obvious wink and smirked.

"Well, I guess that's all. We've gotta be getting back; our visiting time's almost up. You just give him a good smack if he gets out of hand," Barbara warned. "And if worst comes to worst, you can take the chance to send him back by saying his name three times. It might get rid of him or it might make him big again. And you do _not_ want that."

"You're preaching to the choir. I _know_ what he can be like when he's life size," Claudia sighed.

"Oh…_what_?" Adam demanded. "When was he life size?"

"When he 'almost killed me', quote-unquote."

"Wasn't he small?"

"No. Let me reiterate: He was _life-size_."

"How'd he get that way?"

She paused and looked down. "I made a mistake."

They gawked.

"I was angry and I didn't count!" she pleaded. "I'm sorry, ok? It won't happen; _ever_ again. Trust me, I learned my lesson. Every time I even _see_ him, it feels like the snake venom comes back and starts burning in every single one of my veins. And I feel like I'm gonna throw up or faint or go insane. So you don't have to worry about me letting him out again. Ok?"

Barbara raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Just don't slip up again, because the next time, he'll make sure he actually kills you."

"Mhm."

The two waved goodbye and faded away. Claudia watched them go with a wretched feeling in her gut, like she was choked up and sick. It really sucked, knowing that they were the only ones she could talk to about her problem at home and they couldn't ever be there.

She tried to wipe away the long-overdue tears, but they leaked out anyway. Sobbing like a ten-year-old, she laid down and curled up on her bed and tried to fall asleep, which she finally succeeded after fifteen minutes of crying.

Her even breaths were the only sound in the swiftly darkening room, until a few seconds later a creaking sound from the closet door echoed. Beetlejuice shuffled out in his small state, slightly disgruntled, shocked and most definitely a little hurt. After all, he had heard everything.


	19. Insert Romantic Interlude Here

Claudia went back to school the next Monday. Thankfully exempt from the exams, she spent the next week getting used to the daily grind again and accepting rides home from Ben. That weekend, he suggested driving along the mountain highway and checking out the sparse stores and overlooks. She readily accepted; eager to get out of the small town for a quick "vacation".

They were up in the Connecticut hills and were laughing with the cool spring air and the wind rushing back through their hair. Claudia even almost forgot about the slightly-over-the-limit speed, and her laughs of delight turned into a nervous giggle. Ben noticed and slowed down.

"You're really scared of going fast, aren't you?" he commented as they pulled over to another overlook. This one was exceptionally beautiful, giving them a gorgeous view of the sunset-bathed town below. Orange light played in every window and bounced off every rooftop. Golden beams spilled into the topless corvette and highlighted the leather upholstery.

"This…is…_gorgeous_," she murmured, hypnotized by the effect of the sun.

"I guess so. But you didn't answer my question."

"Huh?"

He laughed. "Spacey today; I can feel that. I asked you why you're so scared of going fast."

She was very quiet, keeping her eyes on the setting sun as long as possible. The blazing orb reflected in her pupils and tears the color of molten gold started tracing their way down her cheek. "It's 'cause of…I was little. And he was so _happy_…to finally have his dream car. It was a Mustang…a '66, I think. Painted it light blue and took me for a drive. And…he sped up…and we spun out and _crashed_…"

He could tell she was getting really emotional. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I can just remember to drive slow."

"No, I'd rather you know. Really. We hit a tree, and his airbag did something wrong. That's how I got this scar…" She showed him her upper left arm, and there was a pearly pink crooked cross. It was thick and long and reached almost from her shoulder to halfway to her elbow.

"Who was it?" he asked quietly.

"My…my d-…dad."

"Hey, hey, it's ok," he comforted her as she started crying outwardly. She bent over and hid her face in her palms, and he reached over and patted her back, slightly unsure as to how to handle the situation.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to start bawling," she apologized when the tears stopped flowing.

"It's _ok_. Death happens. We keep on living. It's our _job_; to finish living their life for them by living our lives better."

"Makes sense."

"Damn right it does. And no more worries; I'll drive slower and more carefully, k? Don't cry anymore; you're pretty when you cry, but you're prettier when you smile."

She smirked and wiped her eyes. It was a cheesy line and he knew it by the grin on his face, but it was appreciated. She gave him a teary-eyed smile, her eyes half-closed and a laugh in her throat.

Suddenly she felt his lips against hers and she gave a quick and startled gasp. This wasn't unpleasant at all; Ben was a great guy and she definitely liked him. He didn't have a girlfriend and she could definitely imagine them like this. Come to think of it, she'd imagined it before and liked what she saw.

She moved closer and they stayed together for a good minute before coming apart. Nervous laughter on both sides and a quick apology from him cause Claudia to tell him it was all right. No worries.

They watched the sun finish setting and the stars were beginning to appear when Ben put the car in drive and started back towards her home.


	20. He Was Never Real At All

"Have a good time, babes?"

Claudia fell onto her bed in a dreamlike state. Staring at the ceiling with a grin, she nodded. "Oh yeah. Guys reaching puberty is a good, good thing."

Beetlejuice was busy cleaning under his filthy nails as he was perched on a styrofoam tombstone. "Well, glad to hear it. You feelin' ok?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She popped her head up with a suspicious look. "Why do you care?"

"Just makin' sure I still make you sick. It's Adam's and Barbara's job to make you feel better, after all."

"You…know they were here?"

"Heard the whole conversation. Thanks a lot, by the way; now I know the entire Neitherworld heard about you being sick."

"I don't owe you any apologies."

"Same here. So no worries; we're square."

"Fine."

"Fine."

They sat in stony silence for thirty seconds before Claudia groaned with exasperation. "Why are you like this? What did I ever do to you?" she demanded.

"You

re keeping me here. Say my name and I'll leave."

"When Hell freezes over. I _remember_ last time, you know. It was only a month ago."

"Maybe if you played a little nicer, I'd return the favor. You get along fine with _Ben_," he said nonchalantly, stretching out on the faux grass of the model cemetery.

"How I get along with other people doesn't apply to you, you twisted little lech. And what do you know about it, anyway?"

"Enough to use it to my advantage. With what I know, I could really strike home on you," he grinned maliciously.

She laughed sarcastically. "What, you'll tell my mother? You'll try to spook him off with a miniature snake?"

"No, but I could spook you."

"Oh, yeah? Try me."

"Alright. I'm Ben. Spooked?"

Claudia sat, frozen and speechless. Her stomach fell and began to roil in her gut. She was going to be sick.

"W-what?" she managed, going pale and slightly green.

"I'm Ben. I'm the one who drives the Mustang and wears the shades and knows your dad died in a light blue '66 Mustang car accident." And for his coupe de grace, he morphed into a three-and-a-half-inch high Ben Jacobs.

"You…you…" she stammered.

"Had a real blast tonight. You know, out of all the girls I've been with over the centuries, you're definitely the best kisser. Makes me wonder what _else_ you're good at," he suggested like the little pervert he was. Then he changed back to his normal appearance.

The adrenaline kicked in and Claudia began to rage.

"How could you!" You sick, twisted, insufferable-…!"

"Don't blame _me_, babes!" he pleased laughingly as he ducked under a toy truck. "I'm stuck with you for a year now and I've gotta stay close to you to prove I can play nice. If I don't, I lose all my powers; but if I do I'm off the hook!"

"Do you actually expect me to believe that?"

"Juno's orders, Clauds. But if I can play the part and get some action out of it, you won't see me complaining."

"Bastard!"

How could he? Play her for a complete idiot and take advantage of her like that? She had no idea! No idea at all! Everything – the dates and the family histories – all of it had been a lie. An elaborate hoax, playing with her emotions, just so he could run around life-size in her world.

"Why would you…" she began, but felt the hurt and angry tears start to flow. But she sniffled them back and tried to remain furious.

"I _hate_ you and everything you are. I'd kill you myself if you weren't already dead. Just…go away. Stay away from me. And don't _ever_ let me see you pretending to be Ben again."

"Pretending? Babes, I _am_ Ben!"

"Shut up! I don't care! He doesn't exist! He's just _you_ in a cleaned-up façade!" she spat, retching when she said the word "you".

And with that, she disassembled the model and put it back in the closet, ignoring Beetlejuice's protests. She shoved the dollhouse in the small enclosure as well, slammed the door and locked it tight.


	21. Cruel Irony

She was seething when she went to school the next morning. The first few periods went by without her exploding at anyone, and for short amounts of time, she actually forgot about Ben and Beetlejuice.

However, right before lunch, she went to her locker and was getting her books out when she felt someone pull her back and throw off her balance. As she clawed for a hold and fell backwards, she closed her eyes and awaited the impact on the hard linoleum.

But it never came. As her eyes were clenched tight, she felt someone catch her back and hold her up. Before she could breathe easy, she opened her eyes just as _someone_ planted a long, wet kiss on her lips.

It was Ben.

In the millisecond she realized this, Claudia brought her hand up and smacked him. It sent his head snapping to the side, but he still laughed and grinned.

"I told you never to look like that again!" she hissed, not wanting to draw attention.

"And I told you I had to stay nearby," he chuckled, not really giving a damn about attention.

He righted her and she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "Stay away from me, you _pervert_. Or I'll report you."

"And they'll do what? Lock me up? C'mon, babes. I'm a _ghost_."

"Maybe not. But you'll never be able to show your ugly face here again."

"Oh, it hurts! Your threats of banishment stab into my heart!" he moaned dramatically as he clutched at his chest as if in pain.

She was still raging under the surface as a group of girls came up and started talking to him.

"Ben," a blonde one purred, obviously the leader of their troupe. "You wouldn't happen to have a date for Friday's cotillion, would you?" She batted her eyelids and smiled seductively as if she couldn't contain her own hormones.

"No, as a matter of fact. And you? Who's the lucky stud that gets to take _you_?" he asked, playfully. They both were acting as if Claudia wasn't standing two feet away.

"It could be _you_, you know. It could really boost your status here at WRH. What do you think? Will you take the co-captain of the cheerleading squad to the dance?"

He smirked. "Sure thing, babes."

She smiled, triumphant, then finally seemed to notice Claudia, whose jaw was practically on the floor. The blonde gave her the once-over, then sneered. "Ben, what's a total hottie like you doing with a new-girl nobody like _her_? What's your name, honey? So I can tell everyone whose date to the dance I stole from right in front of her?"

Claudia growled. "None of your business, you slut. And you didn't steal him. I'd sooner chew my own legs off than use them to dance with that asshole. I hope you two have a really great time." She turned on her heels and left them standing there, slightly confused.

* * *

The nerve! She fumed as she took her lunch with her to the central court. The absolute gall and nerve! She couldn't get rid of him! And now she had him making her new enemies just by appearing as a drop-dead gorgeous-…

NO! He was fake! All of him; everything about the boy she thought was real…was all a lie. He didn't have that hot car or that enchanting smile or that cuff-pierced left ear or those perfectly expressive eyes…

Wait a minute! Come to think of it, she had never seen his eyes! He'd always been wearing shades. _Well, all the better,_ she decided. _One less thing to like about that liar_.

And now he had a date to the cotillion with one of the most popular girls in school! Did the unfair irony never cease? He hadn't been in the school any longer than she had, and already he had friends and girls after him. He was so…_two-faced_! That was it!

Ben was the perfect guy! Almost nothing wrong with him! And Beetlejuice was perfectly _wrong_. He didn't have a good quality, not even to his name. Like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he switched back and forth between personas at the drop of a hat. Playing with her mind, that's all it was! Psychologically messing with her.

Well, she wouldn't take it! Damn it all, she was _not_ gonna spend a whole year playing mind games with the jerk. Come Hell or high water, she was gonna find a way to get rid of him, once and for all!


	22. Occult Mischief

**(This chapter and the nexthave a shameless cameo of a well-known landmark in the wide world of groundbreaking TV shows. Props and a chocolate-chip cookie to whomever can name where it's from!)**

She was still musing over how to get rid of him when she entered the library for her study hall. As she stared into space, thinking up reasonless plans, her eyes fell upon the "New Age" section of the nonfiction rows and she had an epiphany.

If ghosts existed, as she now knew they did, and they were considered "magic" or "occult", then wouldn't it stand to reason that the rest of the occult was real? Perhaps, if she looked hard enough, she could find some magic spell that could banish him!

In an instant, she was searching the shelves for a wicca's guide or a Magic For Dummies volume. But a minute later, she reproached herself. Like a public school was going to be promoting witchcraft by having a spell-book on the shelf! So she secured a seat at a computer workstation off in a forgotten corner of the media center and logged onto the internet.

Well, there were _thousands_ of magic spells online, but she wanted to be sure she had it from a semi-reliable source. So she narrowed her search to "ghost exorcism spells" and came up with only a few in-country sites that supplied not only the books with instructions but ingredients and other supplies as well. The first two sites were horrendously expensive, but the third-…

"What on earth are you doing?"

The voice made Claudia jump a foot out of her seat. She looked warily over her shoulder at Mrs. Barnes, the head librarian, who was inspecting the site hits over Claudia's shoulder. "You're not actually planning on practicing this voodoo, are you?" she demanded.

"Oh, no! It's…um…for an essay topic. Just looking up the history of practiced witchcraft." Claudia smiled innocently.

The middle-aged woman nodded in acceptance and left. Claudia took a deep breath and went back to inspecting the third site.

Its store was located in California, but for a small additional shipping fee, they could deliver anywhere in the world. And their prices were a hell of a lot cheaper than anyone else's, that was for sure.

Claudia scribbled down the number and hid the paper in her pocket. She'd call as soon as she got home.

* * *

"I'm home and I've gotta use the phone!" Claudia called as soon as she'd walked in. Taking the cordless handset upstairs to her room, she locked the door, stuffed a towel under the bottom crack, locked her window, drew the shade, and dialed.

The long-distance was free with the Lowe's plan, so Claudia didn't worry about her mother caring over a strange area code. The other line connected and rang three times before someone picked up.

"Thanks for calling the Magic Box. This is Anya speaking. How can I assist you today, o valued customer?"

"Hi," Claudia began, ignoring the rather strange opening speech. "I'm interested in a ghost exorcism. Can you make any suggestions for a do-it-yourself kit?"

"Well, sure! You'll need the basic elements: a Bible, some holy water, a crucifix, a bag of ground demon bones and a copy of The Scrolls of Demonica. We offer all of those items here at the store."

Claudia gulped. Ground demon bones? Scrolls of Demonica? "Are those last two items absolutely necessary?"

"Only if you want to be sure you don't get dragged into the ninth level of Hell along with the ghost. But if you're a twice-sainted priest, you don't have to worry about that."

"Um, ok. How much would the bones and Scrolls be if you were to ship them to Winter River, Connecticut?"

"Oh, ok! Let's see…" A moment passed. "Thirty-seven ninety-five. Cash on delivery?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Let me give you my information…"


	23. Suspended Ecstasy

Meanwhile, Beetlejuice was trying his damnedest to push the towel away so he could listen. Unfortunately, his power to teleport had been stripped, so even the super-speed he had at his disposal (which he used to keep up with Claudia's bike in the mornings) was useless against a locked door and a piece of bathroom paraphernalia.

What was she saying to the person on the other line? Who was it? Did it have anything to do with him? The suspense was killing him! He _had_ to know!

Wait! What was that? She had said something about something being "absolutely necessary". What? Damn it all, she could be talking about anything! Running away, finding religion, getting a date to the dance so she could show off. The horrible possibilities were endless!

Finally she said goodbye and thank you to whoever it was she had been talking to and hung up. He heard her breathe a sigh of relief and cross the room to unlock the door.

He hid between the cracks in the wall as she ran downstairs to the kitchen. There she grabbed a soda, then came back up and began on her homework.

Beetlejuice decided to stroll in ten minutes later, hands-in-pockets and whistling nonchalantly. "How's it goin', Clauds?" he asked.

"Fine," she replied, rather reserved and calm as she did math equations.

Something was very, very wrong. He must've finally driven her nuts. That was the only possible explanation. She was being perfectly natural to him, as if he hadn't flaunted Ben in front of her, taken physical advantage of her and flirted shamelessly with a real girl in her immediate presence.

"Clauds, you ok? Are you feelin' alright?" he asked, worried.

"I'm just fine. I'm trying to do my algebra, if you don't mind. Try to stay quiet."

"Claudia, you're sick. Very sick. We gotta take you to the doctor's. Tell your mom you're sick."

"I'm not sick. I feel fine. Now shush; I'm trying to work this quadratic formula."

Beetlejuice was very close to frightened. This eerie calm was just plain creepy; so unlike her. He sidled up to the bed and clambered up. On her lips played a knowing, slightly mad smile. Her eyes mirrored the page of math problems, but in them glinted a wild spark that struck a weird chord in his gut. Something was brewing beneath the surface; he could feel it.

Dear God, she had finally cracked. That was the only thought that kept spinning in his brain as he watched her work. How he was gonna explain the girl's obvious mental instability to Juno he had no idea, but what worried him was living with a nut-job for the remaining nine or so months of his sentence.

"Clauds, I _really_ think we should go see the doctor. Come on, it can't hurt. You're schedualed for a follow-up check-up anyway. Please? I'm practically _begging_ you!"

"Will you hush up? Math is tough enough without having to carry a conversation while doing it," she returned, slightly perturbed.

The annoyance in her voice eased his suspicions only slightly. He breathed a little easier and sat down on the covers. At least a _little_ bit of Claudia was still in there.

* * *

Claudia spent the next two days in a state of suspended ecstasy. It was almost over! He would be gone and she could get back to living. Maybe two more days was still enough time to snag a date to the cotillion. Then she wouldn't have to spend Friday celebrating on her own.

Finally her brown cardboard box arrived in the mail on Wednesday afternoon. She signed, paid the UPS man, and sprinted upstairs to her room to tear the package open in a frenzied whirl.

There lay her two precious items, along with a hand-written note from someone named R. Giles. Apparently he was the owner of the Magic Box.

_Hope all goes well_, the note read. _Best of luck to a fellow magic-practicer._

She smirked and nodded. How could it _not_ go well? Anything that ended in Beetlejuice's departure had to be the best of luck.

Claudia hurriedly looked up the proper incantation. She poured the demon-dust around her in a circle and anointed herself with holy water by pouring it on her head, two hands and down her throat. The water had been procured from Winter River's only Roman Catholic church by means of a water bottle, but since the bottle had been gotten from a church picnic years ago, she figured the water wouldn't be any less blessed from its conveyance. Picking up the Bible in her right hand and the crucifix in her left, she began to read the instructions once more.

Suddenly her face fell. The ghost had to be present in order for the spell to work. There was only one way to get Beetlejuice in the room for sure, and it entailed a very big risk.

Claudia summoned up all of her courage and opened her mouth.

"Beetlejuice…Beetlejuice…_Beetlejuice_."


	24. One Hell of an Exorcism

Suddenly he was life-size and all-powerful again, standing not five feet away from a very spooked teenaged girl sitting in a ring of white powder, her head dripping wet and her hands clutching a bible and a cross.

Oh shit.

This had all the appearance of an amateur exorcism! _This_ is what she'd been plotting for two days! She was gonna send him to Hell!

"Clauds, what are you doing?" he pleaded, rushing her. But he was held back by the circle of demon-bone dust, which had raised a spiritual shield around her. He could feel the power shudder, though, and he knew he could break through.

Claudia began to chant in an old derivative of Latin as Beetlejuice struggled to get control of his unfamiliar powers once again to shatter the spell. Suddenly his fist erupted in ghostly fire and he slammed it into the invisible wall surrounding her. The air around her glowed light green for a moment before the dust blew away and the shield dissipated.

But Claudia clenched her eyes tight and went on reciting the pre-memorized spell. Beetlejuice knew he didn't have much time before the incantation was complete and she began reciting Genesis 1:1,Matthew 6:9and Revelations 22:21. He'd seen it all too often happen to "clients" of his that backed out of his services.

He tried to reach for the heavy, yellow-paged volume that sat in front of her crossed legs, but the book repelled him with its own force field. However, this book didn't feel holy or pure at all. It swirled with a demonic aura that pushed him back against her bed with tremendous force.

"Argh!" he groaned when he pulled himself up. Stumbling blindly, he began running towards Claudia just as she began, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth…"

Suddenly he was through. He was inches from her face, listening to the holy song whose lyrics foretold his doom. _Claudia, why? Do you hate me so much that you'd damn us _both_? Can't you see the shield is gone? Go on using that book and we'll _both_ be sucked into Hell!_

But he couldn't explain all that as she concluded Matthew 6:9. He was frozen in place, unable to move his arms or legs as she was crying out the last line of Revelations, the last verse of the Bible. All he could do was fall forward…

And stop her words with his mouth. As the demonic aura licked at their skin, eager to be appeased, Beetlejuice locked his lips on hers to halt the hellish distortion of the Word.

_So she drank some of the holy water as well, had she,_ he thought. Her lips burned his dead flesh, making him remember the spicy aftereffect of the Cantonese they had shared so long ago.

She struggled against him but he wouldn't let her go, wouldn't let her finish the exorcism that would destroy him; would destroy _her_.

The singeing wind died down and the book on the floor seemed to turn to ashes instantly where it sat, as if the Lake of Fire itself was spiritually burning it whole.

Suddenly he could move again and he did. Beetlejuice stood and looked down at the poor thing Claudia had become. She'd been so possessed with getting rid of him, she'd forgotten she was supposed to go on living afterwards. She wasn't to be despised; she was to be pitied. He remembered what it was like to want something worth dying for.

He reached down for he, but she withdrew from his touch, crawling back into the corner and cowering there. Jesus, he'd never seen an exorcism gone wrong. What had she seen when the book was tearing at their souls? What had she felt? Mortals were so very fragile…

But he didn't have a chance to ask her, because in a whoosh of papers and dust, he was suddenly in Juno's office.

* * *

"Sit down, you insufferable little thorn in my ass. I just got good news and bad news," she stated, taking a drag off her eternally half-spent cigarette. 

"What happened? Is she ok? What _happened_?" he demanded, not sitting down but slamming his palms down on her desk, upsetting two precariously piled stacks of paper, three empty coffee mugs and one novelty hula-skeleton.

"I told you to sit _down_," she spat, and instantly he was forcibly pinned into a chair by her minimal powers.

"Now shut up and listen. You stopped an exorcism and saved your own hide, but you saved the Lowe girl's, too. So the boys upstairs have decided that's enough for your redemption, even though I disagree. Lucky you, you get free reign again. Now get out of my sight," she said, waving her hand and shooing him away.

"What happened to _her_?" he demanded again.

Juno scowled. "That's the bad news. Seems your little Claudia, at the exact moment the gates of Hell were open to take you in, opened her eyes and saw through. I suspect she was surprised after your little 'stolen kiss'. You lecher; she's millennia younger than you. But I'm not even gonna get _into_ that subject." She massaged her temples as if she had a migraine coming on.

"So what? What after she saw through?" he goaded.

"An experienced exorcist knows never to open his eyes at that crucial moment because it could cause temporary or permanent mental and psychological damage, physical super- or disability, or ultimate expiration. However, Claudia knew none of this. So, thanks to _you_…"

"Oh my God." He was frozen. Christ, what had they done? Playing at her being crazy was one thing. But now…now she was honest-to-god crackers. "How bad is it?" he choked out.

"Actually, it's pretty minimal. General over-acuteness of the sense, slight paranoia and disillusionment. She'll rant and rave a bit, but nothing too severe." Juno read this from a yellow slip of paper that appeared with a puff of smoke between her long fingernails.

"Now get the hell out of my office. I've got better things to do than waste my time giving you a girl's medical diagnosis."


	25. Free Falling

Beetlejuice straightened the white bow-tie over the black button-down and white tuxedo. He ran his fingers through the short locks atop his head and readjusted the black shades. It was time for one last checkup on her.

The school gym was decorated with golden garlands and white and black balloons. "Golden Years Cotillion," a banner read. Beetlejuice smirked. Did they have any idea how stupid that sounded?

He scanned the crowd and caught the eye of his would-be date. The teenybopper was dressed in a fluffy pink tent that looked like it was fit for royalty; bedecked in sequins and lace. He grimaced and promptly escaped into the shadows along the edge of the dance floor to look for the girl he was _really _here for.

* * *

She was lingering near a column near the rear that was wrapped in plastic ivy and yellow roses. Her dress was garnet red and strapless and a rhinestone choker decorated her bare neck. The chocolate-colored hair was pulled back in a braid-favoring up-do, sending a few stray wisps of hair cascading onto her shoulders. Twin bracelets hung loosely off her right wrist. 

She was swaying to the heavy bass undertone. Bodies danced to the beat in the mosh pit close to the DJ, but she stood alone, watching them move and envying every pair out there.

Suddenly she felt two arms encircle her waist, but she didn't turn her head. Instead, she smiled and whispered. "I felt you coming, you know. My skin tingled all over when I felt you see me from across the room."

"I'm sorry,' she said softly.

"For what? For me going crazy _before_ I saw the gates? I was so consumed…and _you_ saved _me_. I should be thanking you."

"No. It's my fault."

"Silly. Stop talking like that. Just sing. Please? For me?"

She turned to face him finally and they began to move in time to Tom Petty's "Free Falling". He smiled and began to croon along to the second verse.

"_All the vampires lying in the valley, move west down Ventura Boulevard_…"

Suddenly she lifted her hand and pulled off his glasses. Behind them were the deepest green eyes she'd never even imagined. The sang of July twilight, of heady jungles under the noon sun.

"Summer is dancing in your irises. Did you know that?" she whispered, lost in the moment.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," he returned.

It was really going to suck having to return to the Neitherworld for a while. He was already forbidden to return to Winter River because of all the trouble he'd caused. And poor Claudia would be all alone in her slight madness…until she found someone who really loved her in spite of it. Poor girl, aged and twisted beyond her years. Someone responsible for that kind of traumatizing had no place in her world.

But tonight…just for tonight…

She was his.

_And I'm free…free fallin'…yes I'm free…free fallin'…_

**_The end._**


End file.
